U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) spoke to a packed house at noon today during a town hall meeting to discuss upcoming legislation, particularly health care plans. (videos below)
The doors opened at 11 am at Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse on Hollywood Drive in Myrtle Beach. Approximately seven hundred packed into the standing room only event while a couple hundred supporters and about 20 protesters withstood the sunny heat outside.
Horry County Republican Party Chairman Robert Rabon and SC Representative Alan D. Clemmons (R-d107) introduced the Senator. DeMint’s twelve minute introductory speech was met with several rounds of applause and two standing ovations.
DeMint acknowledged that many folks are concerned about health care reform stating “The debate is whether we have the government control our health care or do we make what’s working work better so that more people can get covered.”
He also mentioned his personal health care goal of giving every American the opportunity to own, afford, and keep personal insurance policies. The question he posed, however, was how exactly to do it.
He added “While 80 to 85 percent of Americans are currently happy with their health care plans, a number of senior citizens are enrolled in Medicare. Legislation in Washington would cut out the Medicare program. We can’t mess with Medicare.”
He then discussed his alternative to the administration’s government-run health care legislation, The Health Care Freedom Plan. With his proposal, those without coverage from their employers would be eligible for vouchers of $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for families to purchase coverage.
“No American should be forced into a government-run system that limits their choices and rations their care,” he declared. He also stated that we need to create competition among insurance companies.
“This is common sense,” he stated. “It would make what’s working work better. We don’t need a government plan. Health care is probably the most complex and personal aspect of our lives.”
The Senator also clarified his “Waterloo” remark about Obama last month. “What I would like to happen is to break his momentum … for President Obama to stop and listen to the American people,” he said.
After his speech, attendees of the town hall meeting had the opportunity to ask the Senator questions about his position on health care and current legislation in Congress. The meeting concluded at 12:45; then numerous departing attendees advanced to his podium for brief private conversations.
On Thursday August 20th at 6:00 pm, Senator DeMint will also host a virtual town hall meeting for those who have a Twitter or UStream account. Details here.
Photo Gallery: Inside the Town Hall Meeting
Related Stories:
Video: DeMint Discusses Health Care Freedom Plan
Video: Jim Demint Against Gov’t Takeover of Health Care
Video: Jim Demint on Tea Parties & Freedom
Saving Freedom: Tea Time with Senator Jim Demint
References:
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This entry was posted by LukeAmerica2020 on Wednesday; August 19th, 2009 at 10:30 pm and is filed under Headlines, Health Care, Videos.
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Word count: 575.
Tags: Alan D. Clemmons, Jim Demint, Myrtle Beach, Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse, Robert Rabon, SC, town hall meetings.
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Thanks for putting this together …
Bill-tb: You’re quite welcome.
I enjoyed the event myself. In the days and weeks ahead, as the ObamaCare ad campaigns fill the airwaves, it will be nice to have this historical record to refer to … regarding a true alternative.
As a side note, consider that the main problem with constitutionally unauthorized Obamacare is actually not the Oval Office and Congress, IMO, but the people. More specifically, US citizens have evidently not been teaching the Constitution and its history to their children for many generations, particularly the constitutionally enumerated principle of state sovereignty. Consequently, the people do not understand that since the federal Constitution is silent about programs like Obamacare and the Stimulus Package, the 10th A. automatically reserves government power to regulate and lay taxes for such things to the states, not the Oval Office and Congress.
In fact, Chief Justice Marshall had established the following case precedent, now wrongly ignored, which appropriately limits the power of the feds to lay taxes.
So not only is misguided Obama’s proposed healthcare constitutionally unauthorized, but the corrupt Congress never had the power to lay taxes to fund such a program in the first place.
What’s going on is that state sovereignty-ignorant voters have been electing lawmakers to both the state legislatures and the federal senate who are as state sovereignty-impaired as the voters are. Consequently, these lawmakers have not been doing their jobs to protect state sovereignty by protecting citizens from the power-hungry, tax-loving, Constitution-ignoring “leaders” (crooks) running the federal government.
Finally, the following link should help give people an idea as to how state sovereignty-ignorant voters have shot themselves in the foot with big, corrupt federal government.
B. Johnson. You make some good points.
But, thankfully, Americans are waking up. We are starting to take action against our country’s slide into socialism.
The survivors of the Civil War that Obama is fomenting, will teach their children the importance of the constitution and that we are, in fact, a constitutional republic.
Senator DeMint is clearly a leader in this fight to preserve freedom and capitalism. But, there are many battles still before us. The proponents of tyranny and socialism will not simply concede defeat to the overwhelming will of we, the people.